It is common in commerce and industry for different entities such as companies or other organizations for example, to represent an object such as a product, service, resource or any other item of commercial significance, by different internal identifier codes. A problem occurs in integrating computer systems and transferring data between companies concerning commercial transactions involving such objects. Specifically, an identifier code of one entity (e.g., a manufacturer) is not recognized by the computer system of another entity (e.g., a wholesaler) involved in a transaction. Consider a case involving the procurement of an automobile oil filter, for example. A retail store ordering the oil filter part has a stock number. A distributor of the oil filter maintains another different stock number for the same filter. A company that brands the filter assigns a different part number and UPC (Universal Product Code) bar code. The manufacturer maintains yet another different part number. The difference in part numbers and codes used to represent the single part by the different entities involved in the distributorship chain causes significant problems in executing a transaction. A computer system of one entity in the chain needs to know the part number used to identify the object by another entity in the chain to generate purchase orders, for billing, and for other transaction records.
Some known systems address the problem by employing cross-reference mapping files embedded within individual networked applications used by the entities involved in a distribution chain. The mapping files translate (map) identifier codes between the different entities. This approach provides a costly, inflexible mapping system vulnerable to error and identifier code mismatch between mapping files. This approach is also dependent on synchronized update of the different mapping files involving use of complicated network interfaces and multiple, different file formats.
Another known system offered by Seebeyond.com and described at its web site employs a mapping system that involves a centralized mapping database and does not support access to additional remote external mapping databases thereby limiting the scope, flexibility and use of the mapping system.
A system according to the invention principles addresses the described problems and deficiencies.